Police memo details concerns over violence between bike clubs

By Jody Barr
WBTW News 13 Reporter
Published: May 12, 2008

Another aspect of bike week that you don’t usually hear much about deals with law enforcement concerns over some motorcycle clubs and the potential for violence.

Each year, authorities keep a close eye on several clubs who participate in the Bike Week events in Myrtle Beach.

This year, according to an internal memo from the Horry County Police Department obtained by News13, authorities are focused on four nationwide clubs including the infamous Hells Angels, the Pagans, Banditos, and the Outlaws Motorcycle Clubs.

News13 received the memo shortly after it was released to law enforcement officers late last week.

In it, authorities including the FBI, ATF, SLED, US Marshals, and local investigators said recently some notorious motorcycle clubs have established chapters in Horry County with plans to grow them.

Also in the memo, county police think there’s also a chance that growth now could spell trouble later.

County police wouldn’t talk about the specifics of the memo, and to protect law enforcement’s confidential sources, News13 decided to not release specific details contained in the memo.

The memo details known rival biker hangouts, and hotels one biker club rented in Myrtle Beach for this year’s bike week.

For many bikers, Bike Week means a trip to the beach and a needed vacation.

But authorities say for bike clubs, it’s an event that places supposed rival clubs too close together, “The potential is always there, it doesn’t matter whether it’s involving clubs, or it’s involving a group of people at a local bar, the potential is always there for problems,” an undercover county police investigator told News13 on Monday, who also asked not to be named.

The investigator, who heads up the department’s investigations into bike clubs, said although rival groups like the Hells Angels and the Pagans clubs have fought in Myrtle Beach before, investigators said they found little to indicate that they’ll see that type of violence this Bike Week.

According to the memo, however, investigators said intelligence through federal, state, and local agencies indicate clashes between rival clubs in other bike rallies recently could spill over into the rally in Myrtle Beach.

The memo refers to a recent attack by Hells Angels members on Outlaw Motorcycle Club members at the 2007 Sturgis, South Dakota rally.

The memo states it’s attacks like the one in Sturgis that have authorities focused on the rival clubs at this year’s rally.

According to the memo, investigators said four groups have established memberships and chapters in Horry County and include the Hells Angels, the Hammer Headz, Dire Wolfz, and the Man of War group.

The Hammer Headz are a local group who aspire to become Hells Angels and often carry out orders from Hells Angel leaders to commit crimes in the area, according to a county investigator.

The Hells Angels have held a chapter in Horry County for some time and the group purchased a house on Highway 814 in Socastee, which displays a large HAMC sign on the front of the residence, as their headquarters, according to investigators.

The memo states because of an increase in violence between rival clubs nationwide, authorities are focused on these groups this week.

Investigators said these groups bring special concerns each year, “If you’re talking about if there’s a propensity for violence because there are rival clubs, or what people perceive as rival clubs, my answer to that would be is there a propensity for violence at a Myrtle Beach-Conway football game?”

The investigator said he believes bike clubs, like the Hells Angels carry a reputation with them that is often exaggerated.

But from the county police’s memo, investigators are clear about one thing, they’ll make their presence known this Bike Week.